15-Minute Cranberry Jalapeno Relish

With NYE in just a few days, I wanted to share this AWESOME, super easy appetizer. It’s one of those easy appetizers that only takes 10-15 minutes to make and EVERYONE will love it. This cranberry jalapeno relish over cream cheese is a must on your holiday spread this year! It’s sweet, spicy, tangy and so incredibly good with crackers and cream cheese. Don’t take my word for it, try it yourself today!

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What ingredients do I need to make this cranberry jalapeno relish?

The ingredients required for this recipe are simple and you may already have them in your fridge or pantry. There are 4 main ingredients plus a simple brine. The four main ingredients are cranberries, jalapeno peppers, sugar, and vinegar. The brine consists of water, salt, and garlic powder. That’s it! If you’re in a time crunch you can bypass the brine and stick to the four main ingredients, although I wouldn’t recommend it because the brine helps remove water and adds flavor through the salt and garlic powder.

How easy is it to make the cranberry jalapeno relish?

This easy relish only takes 10-15 minutes to make and can even be made days in advance. Using a food processor or blender, it makes chopping and mincing the cranberries and peppers a breeze. I love using my BlendTec for that. After chopping the cranberries and jalapeno peppers, they hang out in a simple brine until the syrup is ready. The syrup is two ingredients. That’s right, just two! Apple cider vinegar and sugar make this relish a sweet tangy treat. After the cranberries and peppers have been chilling in the brine for at least 10 minutes, drain all the liquid. Once the syrup has begun to thicken (about 5-8 minutes) add the cranberry pepper mixture, cool or carefully top your room temperature cream cheese. That’s how easy this recipe is to make!

Leftover relish? Here are some other ways we’ve enjoyed this relish.

We love having this cranberry jalapeno relish with cream cheese and crackers but the list of possibilities is endless. Here are a few other ideas on how you can use leftover relish (if there is any):

sandwiches

turkey (like a cranberry sauce)

cream cheese and salami

cream cheese and toasted baguettes

hotdogs

hamburgers

What’s your favorite cranberry dish?

I’d love to hear about your favorite cranberry dish. Let me know how you like to enjoy cranberries in the comments.Here’s the full printable recipe. Enjoy!

Cranberry Jalapeno Relish with cream cheese

Yield: 3 cups relish

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Cranberries and spicy jalapenos in a sweet, tangy sauce serve over cream cheese. An easy 15-minute appetizer served with crackers, salami or toasted baguettes.

Hi Becky! So happy to hear you loved this Cranberry Jalapeno Relish recipe. It’s a favorite at my house too. As long as I keep the cream cheese on the side, Ryan, who won’t come near cheese, will eat it too. Haha. Thanks for stopping by!